Picking up where I left off in the winter, I began to look at where sustainable building systems could be incorporated into my scheme as well as the possible languages of the exterior envelope. I’ll begin with each of the ideas first, followed by the feedback and what I intend to do next.

Enclosure

The Zidell footprint has an immense amount of southern exposure which I intend to take full advantage of.

For my initial pass I had the entire glazed south side covered by a perforated aluminum mesh that picks up the language of the surrounding context (Aerial Tram, OHSU projects) while providing light and heat filtration. The intent was to have a modern streamlined interpretation of the powerful form that is the existing building. The perforation would allow for semi-transparent conditions during the day and a much more transparent glow at darker hours of the day.

The roof of the southern half of the building was made up of solar glass, (semi-transparent pv panels) to filter light while harnessing the power of the sun. The northern half of the roof is reserved for a mixture of green roofs and roof gardens accessible by students and residents of the community as well.

Passive Cooling/Ventilation

I currently have 3 main cores of vertical circulation which can have a stack ventilation function. There central placement would allow for ventilation for both the north and south sides of the building.

Living machine and Bioswales

A living machine would inhabit the spaces created by the outward splaying of the structure on the south side, taking advantage of sunlight and the enormous amount of storm water runoff a building of this size could provide. on the North side, any storm water not contained in the vegetated roof systems would filter down into bioswales.

Verdict

Although the intentions and ideas were well met. Many suggestions were given to take the ideas to the next level and really take advantage of the opportunities here.

The facade was hit and miss, some reviewers felt the expression was appropriate, while others felt it could use some variation and a more defined entry. The roof could factor in more of an influence from surrounding buildings (or those that may come in the future) in regards to shadows and presence. The stack ventilation, living machine, and bioswale ideas seemed to be spot on.

At this point, I really want to focus on the details of the enclosure and how they affect the interior spaces as well as what this massive bar of a building is going to look like. I want to keep the continuity expressed by my initial facade design while incorporating some variation somehow. Some really interesting precedents were suggested and I look forward to exploring new ideas.

Stay tuned.